Quivira Newsletter 11

May 2000 Vol 3., No. 3

Marketing Conservation Value

by Jim Winder Lake Valley, New Mexico, was once a frontier mining town that owes its name to a series of shallow lakes fed by Berrenda Creek. In the early years of the 20th century, the lakes were drained and put into farmland. This happened because, at that time, the citizens of the United States valued the natural resources for their commodity value, and nothing more.

The only way for humans to extract value from the resource was either by farming, grazing, or mining, all of which were profitable.

But times change, as do values. Today, Lake Valley is a ghost town. Once the silver played out, folks just packed up and left. And the lakes? Well, today they are being taken out of farming and put back into wetlands. Why? Because the well-fed citizens of the United States value the wetland resource more for the production of rare birds and clean water than for another bushel of corn.

It is no great secret that ranching is a mature industry and that ranchers are hard pressed to stay in business. It stands to reason that ranchers who wish to stay on the land

must not be solely reliant on livestock production—they must also be able to

Editor’s Note This third edition in our series on the New Ranch addresses the conservation values of ranches and possible ways to market them. The hallmark of any New Ranch is good stewardship. We believe that good stewardship and good economics go hand in hand. But stewardship and economics can be complimented by the diversification, added value, and alliances described in this newsletter. successfully market products and services which are based on more lucrative resource values such as recreation and conservation. Although recreation is pervasive, the value of conservation is less well defined. The purpose of this

article is to better understand conservation value and to lend some insights into the marketing of conservation products and services. For a rancher, this means new opportunities to make a living for the land. For the conservationist and agency employee, it offers a whole suite of powerful tools for restoration and remediation.

Origins of Conservation Value Back in the 1940s when recreation value first made an appearance on the ranchlands of New Mexico, it was poorly defined and was mostly limited to services. A person might hire a rancher to take him hunting or for a mule ride up a mountain so that he could ski down. Gradually, the services became more defined and refined, and we began to see people dedicated to these services on a full- time basis. Next came the products. No self-respecting Texan would be caught dead without the newest in rifles or flannel long johns. Today, the plethora of products in a sporting goods store is testament to how well

(con’t on page 16)

Macho Creek Update:

Quivira Coalition

The

551 Cordova Road, #423 Santa Fe, NM 87501

Birds, Birds, Birds

(505) 820 - 2544 (505) 466-4935 (fax)

www.quiviracoalition.org HawksAloft has completed its first year of bird surveys on our Macho Creek project near Deming and Northern Cardinal

they have discovered some interesting things. Among them, the bird counts were up from last winter. Migrant bird counts were up all over the region, but our counts were even higher and “. . .it is likely that some increase in the numbers of birds detected at Macho Creek may be attributed to current land management.” In addition, several rare riparian birds

2 May 2000

Summer Tanager

have been discovered on the site: Northern Cardinal, Lucy’s Warbler, Summer Tanager, YellowBreasted Chat, and Hooded Oriole. “This site is the first, and remains the only, Sierra County location for Northern Cardinal.”

According to the report, “Surveyors noted the appearance of 30 meters of flowing water and an increase in grasses during the winter 2000 survey. Approxi-

Hooded Oriole

mately half of the individuals recorded on that survey were located within 250 meters of water.”

Quivira plans to have HawksAloft continue to monitor this project for at least the next three and possibly five years (if we can come up with the money) so that we can document what changes in management have meant to the bird populations.

Founders: Jim Winder (505) 267-4227 jrwinder@aol.com Courtney White (505) 982-5502 wldwst@rt66.com Barbara Johnson (505) 466-4935 lunah3@aol.com Editor: Barbara Johnson (505) 466-4935 lunah3@aol.com The Quivira Coalition Newsletter is published by The Quivira Coalition 4 times a year.

The opinions expressed in signed articles are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of the Coalition. Articles may be freely reprinted for nonprofit purposes, provided that credit is given to the author and The Quivira Coalition.

Subscriptions are available for $15 a year. Please send a check or money order to The Quivira Coalition, 551 Cordova Road, #423, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Send address changes to the same address. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing.

Printed on Recycled Electrons Worldwide

New opportunities continue to arrive at our doorstep.

We have agreed to participate in two grazing-related environmental restoration projects in the Santa Fe area. That’s because we think these projects, both community-driven and collaborative, could be role models for the region.

The Cerrillos Hills Park Coalition approached us with the twin goals of restoring range conditions in the hills and establishing a small village cattle herd there. In January, the Park Coalition persuaded the County of Santa Fe to purchase a big chunk of private property in the hills above their village.

Working cooperatively with the BLM and the State Land Office, and with strong leadership from the National Park Service, the Park Coalition has developed a visionary plan for a regional park.

As part of this plan, the Park Coalition intends to implement a comprehensive interpretive program to tell the very long story of the Cerrillos Hills—an area that embraces the oldest mining district in the United States, as well as a wide range of scenic and cultural values.

That’s where the cows come in.

The villagers, with the County’s blessing, have asked us to help them develop a grazing strategy that will allow them to manage a small herd of cattle sustainably.

Not only have cattle been a part of the social fabric of the area for centuries, but they have also been an important source of food for villagers historically.

We have been impressed by the energy, organization, and vision of the Park Coalition and are flattered that they asked us to help.

Over the next few months we will conduct a range analysis in the hills, write a report, make recommendations, and hold a public meeting.

Our goal is to restore the range to health and develop a model grazing program that benefits the land and the people simultaneously.

And that’s exactly our goal in the Villanueva area as well.

Two months ago, we were asked to tour private property on the mesa overlooking the tiny village of Sena, on the banks of the Pecos River southwest of Las Vegas.

The tour was organized by the landowners themselves, including members of the Sena family, many of whom own cattle.

The landowners had come to the realization that things were not going well on their mesa. An expanding juniper forest is choking out the native grasses; erosion is causing sediment to flow into the Pecos River; and the threat of subdivisions is beginning to loom large.

The residents of “El Valle” know they must act quickly to preserve their land and their history before their future is taken out of their hands.

With the assistance of landowner Marcia Diane, the families have engaged the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the EPA, the state Environment Department, the local Soil & Water Conservation District, and Quivira in helping them draft a restoration plan for the area.

So far, the prospects for success look good. Best of all, everyone is working toward common goals collaboratively.

Which is news around these parts.

We want to thank Virgil Trujillo and Kirk Gadzia for their help with these projects.

From the Founders Jim Winder Courtney White Barbara Johnson

For up-to-the-minute information on UPCOMING EVENTS, please visit our website, www.quiviracoalition.org

3 May 2000

EcoResults

by Dan Dagget

4 May 2000

A lot of ranchers are looking for new ways to market environmental stewardship. Many of them already do so in a variety of ways.

They piggy-back it onto beef sales by warranting that their beef is produced in a way that doesn’t harm the environment. They market the additional wildlife that their stewardship produces to wildlife watchers, and photographers, and to hunters where state laws permit. Some market the open space their ranches produce by selling conservation easements or trophy homesites placed so they can continue to graze cattle on the main part of the ranch.

A growing number of ranchers have even begun to seek grants to fund management projects directed at the healing of ecosystems. Among those are projects that heal riparian areas, revegetate deteriorated rangelands, restore watersheds to their natural function, etc.

What I would like to do here is to help to add another tool to this tool kit.

Direct Marketing That additional tool is the direct marketing of the results of environmental stewardship. It is based on the simple principle that when we want something, the most effective way we have found to get it is to buy it; in other words, to reward someone for producing it. We use this incentive-based approach because we have found that it generally gets us more and better beans, computers, cars, gardening services, mail delivery, whatever, than any other method.

So, why not apply the most powerful means people have yet devised to get anything to get more functional ecosystems, healthy wildlife habitat, sustainable open space,

working watersheds, etc.? Why not create a means to reward managers for producing those results by marketing them directly to the people who want them?

At present I’m working with a few other out-of-the-box thinkers to do just that. We’re putting together a web site by means of which ranchers who restore and sustain functional ecosystems can market their results directly to the majority of Americans who have identified environmental health as one of the things they’re most willing to spend money for.

Web Site The web site will include dramatic before and after photos of projects where ranchers have gone out of their way to produce really dramatic results; results like the restoration of barren piles of mine tailings and degraded rangelands by Terry Wheeler (who is now working with the Quivira Coalition), or Joe Austin piling rock in eroded gullies in southeastern Arizona to create wetland microhabitats that now support endangered Yaqui chubs, rare longfin daces and Sonoran mud turtles; or the Magoffin family, also in southeastern Arizona, hauling 1,000 gallons of water a week to sustain a population of threatened Chiricahuan leopard frogs jeopardized by an extended drought and predation by non-native bullfrogs.

Individuals, foundations and for-profit sponsors will be able to offer monetary support to projects of this sort and participate directly through on-line discussions with land stewards and other members of each project’s collaborative team via (con’t on page 5)

a website we call EcoResults.org.

(It’s not up and running yet, so don’t try to find it on the net.)

With EcoResults as an alternative, environmentalists won’t have to send their money to activist organizations that spend it on confrontation, litigation, legislation, and regulation. And they won’t have to wonder whether any of their hardearned cash will actually make it through that mob of high-dollar middle men to the land.

EcoResults will provide environmental dollars a direct route to the land leveraged by the creativity and hard work of some of our society's most effective land stewards. By changing environmental restoration from a liability to an asset for those hard-working stewards, the EcoResults approach will significantly increase the incentive for them to direct a greater portion of their efforts to creating environmental value. The end result will be more successful restorations and more sustainable management throughout the West.

Educational Tool For ranchers, the direct marketing of environmental value will do more than provide additional operating money. It will serve as an extremely effective educational tool and help to resolve environmental conflicts as well.

One reason ranchers market environmental stewardship is because of the educational value of doing so. By marketing their beef as “environmentally friendly,” ranchers let people know that they operate in a way that not only doesn’t harm the land but actually benefits it. And they give people a means of supporting that sort of management by buying their beef.

However, piggybacking the rewards for good stewardship onto the marketing of beef or birdwatching has its drawbacks.

Among those drawbacks are matters of accountability and delivery. If we buy an eco-burger, how do we know the production of the beef in that burger really benefits the land?

Direct marketing involves the direct delivery of a specific environmental result. It’s the difference between, “We graze our cows in ways that benefit the land,” and, “We restored this riparian area from the ditch of manure soup in this photo to the green oasis in this photo in which ‘X’ species of neotropical birds have been censused, plant spacings have decreased from feet to fractions of an inch, and total suspended solids in the stream have decreased from....”

What better way could there be for ranchers to let people know that they operate in a way that benefits the environment than by proving it with results delivered in the form of eye-opening before and after photos of successful ecological restorations? I know this works because I’ve been traveling around the West for more than 10 years showing photos of this sort to audiences that have ranged from groups of activist vegetarians to garden clubs to international environmental conferences. And the response to these deliveries has been overwhelmingly positive from all quarters. “These ranchers should be commended,” one of the vegetarians said, “How can I help?”

That person is never going to buy a steak or shoot an elk. Most likely they will never make it to a ranch to go birdwatching. But they

(con’t on page 23)

EcoResults (con’t from page 4)

The Quivira Coalition Courtney White, Executive Director

The Board of Directors Jim Winder, Chair Barbara Johnson, Vice Chair Dutch Salmon, Secretary Bob Jenks, Treasurer, Assistant Commissioner, New Mexico State Land Office* Dan Dagget, author and environmentalist Dr. Kris Havstad, Supervisory Scientist, Jornada Experimental Range* Frank Hayes, U.S. Forest Service District Ranger, Clifton, Arizona* Mark McCollum, Rancher Virgil Trujillo, Manager, Ghost Ranch* * For informational purposes only

5 May 2000

A 21st Century Ranch

by Courtney White

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. (Photo courtesy of Ray and Monica Burdette.)

6 May 2000

Monica and Ray Burdette have seen the future, and it looks like a bird.

The Burdettes run the 1400-acre El Canelo Ranch, located near Brownsville, in southern Texas.

Although Monica’s family homesteaded the land in the 1860s and have ranched it ever since, the Burdette family face the possibility of being pushed out of the cattle business soon. The reason is simple—not enough land.

The original 80,000-acre Yturria/ Garcia ranch has been splintered into pieces over the generations by the custom of dividing the land equally among heirs. Today, the Burdettes lease the El Canelo from Monica’s mother.

Eventually, Monica will inherit something less than 600 acres, which she does not consider to be a viable economic unit, at least not for a ranching operation.

So, the Burdettes had to think of something new if they wanted to remain in ranching.

It took five years to develop, but the Burdettes came up with an imaginative economic plan that blends ranching, hunting, and birdwatching into a whole. Each element balances the other; when cattle prices fall, for example, the Burdettes can sell more hunting, or bring in more birders. Or vice versa. Ray Burdette calls it the “smoothing of the overall economy of the ranch.”

For the Burdettes, diversification has become an economic lifesaver.

Birds The most unusual, and perhaps the most profound, part of the Burdettes’ new economic strategy, has been their embrace of “nature tourism.” In the case of the El Canelo, that means birds.

Growing up, Monica had been impressed by the quantity of birds on her family’s land. Taking a gamble, the Burdettes remodeled the ranch headquarters into a Bed and Breakfast and began to advertise within the birding community.

One of the first groups arrived from Illinois. They were so impressed by the ranch, the hospitality, and the birds, that they returned again. This year will be their sixth straight at the El Canelo.

From groups like these, Monica and Ray learned an astonishing fact: nearly HALF of all North American birds could be found on the ranch at one time or another.

They learned something else as well—birders are a tight-knit community where word travels fast. As a result, the Burdettes hardly spend any money advertising anymore.

The whole experience has changed their perspective dramatically.

Take the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, for example. When this very rare bird was discovered on the ranch recently, Monica and Ray faced a decision—do what their neighbors have done and deny the bird’s existence out of fear of governmental interference, or consider the owl’s presence a positive thing and run with it? They chose the latter course, and it has made all the difference.

As word of the owl’s existence spread, overnight business at

(con’t on page 7)

the El Canelo climbed quickly.

Eventually, the Burdettes began to charge $35 per person for day visits to the ranch as people began to pour in. In just a few short years, literally thousands of birders have made the trek to the ranch.

Today, Monica and Ray make more money from birds than they do from cattle.

Hunting It’s not just money that motivates the Burdettes, however. If it were, they would concentrate exclusively on their hunting business, which brings in the lion’s share of profits to the ranch. The season runs from September to April and hunters can choose from a wide variety of prey, including bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, whitetail deer, doves, waterfowl, and even the Nilgai, a large antelope native to India.

The money is important, but so is the social aspect. The Burdettes truly enjoy the company of birders and hunters. “We like the social life,” says Ray, a retired military officer in charge of the hunting expeditions. “Everyone’s been wonderful,” concurs Monica, “It’s been a great experience so far.”

It has also been a great deal of hard work. For example, the chore of orchestrating the competing needs of so many hunters and birders at the same time requires patience and skill. In fact, the Burdettes usually rotate their guests through the B&B—hunters are in Monday through Wednesday, birders have the run of the place Thursday through Saturday, though sometimes they host both groups simultaneously—all with positive results!

Both Ray and Monica admit it gets a little crazy at times.

“We’re in the entertainment business,” says Ray, “and it’s going to get busier.” Ray thinks the birding business at the ranch will double in five years, possibly surpassing the money they make from hunting. He likes to point out that while there are approximately 2.5 million hunters across the nation, there are 20 million birders.

“The future is going in this direction,” he says by way of summary.

If there is a downside to this new economic activity, it is not readily apparent. Monica says they were chiefly concerned about liability issues when they began. But in eight years they have not had a major incident, and now their insurance worries are greatly reduced.

Their main difficulty today is the long hours. “The guests come first,” says Monica, “so it’s up early and stay up late.” Not that she’s complaining. “As a ranch family, we’re used to it,” she says. But now there’s more of everything—more people to serve, more food to cook, more rooms to clean more often.

“The key to everything,” says Monica with finality, “is planning.”

A 21st Century Ranch (con’t from page 6)

Wildlife at El Canelo.

(Photo courtesy of Ray and Monica Burdette.)

Cattle Amid the birds and the guns, is the soul of the ranch—its cattle. The Burdettes run a 160head herd of registered Charolais in a cow-calf operation. The profits from ranching, while not as great as the other activities, pay for the land they lease from Monica’s family. It also maintains ties to a long cultural tradition in the region.

Significantly, the Burdettes have integrated the cattle into the

(con’t on page 21)

7 May 2000

I can’t remember why the ad caught my eye. I’m not a connoisseur of shoes in general, or hiking boots in particular, so there was no reason to linger over the splashy boot ad on the back page of the Sierra Club magazine. But there was something unusual about this ad.

by Courtney White Looking closer, I saw a message tucked carefully into the image of the boot’s tread. It read: “Prevent Overgrazing.”

I immediately called the company’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon. I had my indignation close at hand, ready to vent at what I assumed to be another round of the “us v. them” finger-pointing that passes for debate in the grazing wars. And for profit too!

I was dead wrong.

I reached Bob Farentinos, (Photo courtesy of Deep E Co.) co-founder and Executive VicePresident of Deep E Co., who reassured me that they had an honorable goal in mind. “Our company was founded on the principles of sustainable development and environmental stewardship,” he said. “We’re not trying to kick the cows off the land, far from it.”

Their shoes, Bob continued, were simply a means of blending ecology, ethics, and economics together into a consumerfriendly product that “left the planet better off than we found it.”

He sounded excited.

May 2000

Can A Shoe Save The World?

8

After only a few minutes of conversation, so was I.

Sustana “The last thing the world needs,” said Bob, “is another footwear company doing business as usual.” Founded in 1996, Deep E grew out of an earlier effort to develop a shoe made entirely from recycled products, called Deja Shoe. That effort didn’t quite succeed, but Bob learned important lessons. One difference this time would be leather.

After a couple of years of research and development, Deep E patented Sustana leather. The cattle hides are supplied by Coleman Natural ProductsTM, the nation’s leading producer of certified natural beef. Developed by Mel Coleman, Sr., and headquartered in Denver, Coleman Beef is produced from cattle that are raised from birth without the use of growth-promoting hormones or antibiotics and eat feed that is tested for chemicals.

After a quick salt cure, the hides are shipped to the Cudahy Tanning Co., a custom tannery located in Wisconsin. Deep E’s goal was to find a company that met or exceeded the standards established under the Dutch Ecolabel for Footwear called “Milieurkeur.”

Cudahy fit the bill; its operations include the use of low-toxicity chemicals, minimal release of emissions into the water, employment of recapture systems, chlorine-free finishing processes, elimination of harmful dyes, and responsible transport or reuse of waste leather. (con’t on page 9)

food business and we were just getting started,” said Mel. They kept in contact through the Deja Shoe years, watching each other work toward similar goals. When Bob launched Deep E, Mel Coleman was at the top of his list.

According to Mel, the Colemans have employed a shortduration grazing style of management since the 1960s. They were the first ranch on the Gunnison National Forest, located in southern Colorado, to employ a rotational system. “It took a while to convince the Forest Service,” he said, “but they’ve been supportive ever since.”

Today the Colemans run approximately 1600 head of cattle in 10 to 12 separate herds on Coleman Another goal of Deep E is 250,000-acres of public and prito market good stewardship, which vate land. In Saguache Park, a high, is a further reason to partner with beautiful valley on the Gunnison, Mel Coleman. According to a com- they divided the area into 10 paspany press release, “Concerned tures and closely monitored the over the environmental impacts of impact of the cattle on the land. By traditional cattle ranching, Mel using a short-duration system they pioneered a rotational grazing sys- were able to double the numbers tem to help reduce erosion and the of cattle there over the years.

Mel didn’t stop there. In ecological effects of overgrazing.

These efforts have earned Coleman 1980 he launched Coleman Natuan international reputation in sus- ral Beef, which today involves sevtainable ranching and range con- eral hundred ranchers throughout Colorado—each of whom must servation.”

I called Mel Coleman to certify their stewardship as well as talk about the relationship between their “naturalness.” As Mel puts it, good grazing and shoes. “I met (con’t on page 22) Bob when he was in the natural

According to Bob, the three companies form a unique partnership that is producing “the world’s first ‘eco-leather.’”

Deep E hasn’t stopped there. The rubber used in its shoes is produced from wild Amazon latex—called NativaTM. “There’s nothing better than natural rubber,” said Bob. “It’s used in airplane and truck tires. And the longer it lasts, the less damage done to the environment by the entire chain of materials.”

The rubber is sustainably harvested by Amazonian rubbertappers, said Bob, who recently returned from an inspection trip to the Brazilian jungle. “Our goal is to support local communities,” he said, “and we are.”

If you turn over one of these shoes you will see the message “Sole of the Rainforest” in its tread.

Clearly, Deep E is a company with a lot to say.

Can a Shoe Save the World? (con’t from page 8)

9 May 2000

Profile of Good Stewardship:

Mark Cortner

To stay healthy, rancher Mark Cortner has decided to go organic.

Although he is referring to the economic health of his ranch, he will try an organic steak now and then (when he can afford it) for his own bodily well-being.

“They taste better, too!” says Mark with a smile.

dollar for his beef. In fact, he anticipates clearing $800 net on every cow. That is many times higher than what most ranchers clear with a traditional beef operation. “The organic market is more stable, too,” says Mark. “It doesn’t fluctuate as much as conventional beef. I’ve looked into it.”

Indeed he has.

Plan

Mark Cortner with his automatic wildlife feeding machine.

(Photo by Courtney White.)

10 May 2000

Mark and his ranch are in the early stages of becoming only the fourth supplier of certified organic beef in the whole state of New Mexico, and only the second to steward his animals from calf to carcass.

Mark’s motivation for going organic is simple: supply and demand. The supply of organic products has not matched the rapid expansion of demand. “The Nike corporation likes to use organic cotton in some of its shoes,” says Mark, by way of example, “but it can’t find enough farmers who grow the stuff, so they pay top dollar.”

Mark expects to earn top

A visit to Mark’s ranch reveals a number of surprises. First is its size. He owns less than 2000 acres, most of it private, and runs only 20 head of cattle. He has owned the land for less than two years as well, having owned ranches in Colorado and Texas previously.

The second surprise is the condition of the land, which might charitably be called a “management opportunity” (even progressive ranchers avoid the “o” word).

Located in dry, scrubby country southwest of Roswell, New Mexico, the previous owners of the ranch were, in Mark’s words “not great managers” and left the place in poor shape.

The third surprise is Mark’s attitude. He sees the size and condition of his ranch as an opportunity for success, not a recipe for struggle. The key is diversifying the economics of the ranch. “I’m tired of making money one year and losing it the next,” says Mark, referring to the unpredictable beef market. “I figure there’s got to be a better way.”

So, Mark came up with a plan. The short-term strategy includes the small herd of registered

(con’t on page 11)

European Mouflon sheep which Mark raises behind his house.

These pure-bred sheep are fairly rare and quite valuable as breeding stock. The family also banks on the steady salary of Mark’s wife, who is a teacher.

The long-term plan includes restoring the ranch’s rangeland to health, building up the wildlife population, allowing a few hunters on the ranch, converting one of the houses to a Bed and Breakfast, increasing the size of his herd to no more than 35 head, and, of course, going organic.

To accomplish these goals, Mark has already fenced his portion of the Rio Feliz into a riparian pasture for dormant season grazing; divided the ranch into 11 paddocks using electric fencing; picked out sites for six drinkers; installed wildlife feeders; and begun using his cattle in a carefully controlled manner that is compatible with the area’s ecology. “I’ve done rotational grazing in four different states,” says Mark, alluding to his experience in the Southwest. “It works.”

On portions of the ranch, especially while standing at the top of the crumbling, 15 foot banks of the bone-dry Rio Feliz, it is hard to imagine how restoration is possible. But Mark is confident of his ability. “I can’t wait until this land comes back,” says Mark, his hand sweeping across a desiccated landscape. “And it will.”

That’s because what Mark wants to sell ultimately is good stewardship.

Going Organic

By Mark’s calculation, he

has been an unofficial “organic” rancher for most of his life. He doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides in his operation; his cattle are grass fed; his use of antibiotics and other drugs is practically nonexistent (rotational grazing significantly reduces fly-borne illnesses, for example); and he herds his animals in a low-stress manner. It also costs less. “It’s more economical to raise beef naturally,” says Mark, in summation.

All he has to do now to become certified is use organic feed exclusively and document all his activities on paper. “What they want to see most during an inspection,” says Mark, “is a plan.” Which should be no sweat for Mark since planned grazing lies at the heart of his operation anyway.

Equally important, however, is the market. Through the New Mexico Organic Livestock Co-op, which Mark praises as the “best one he’s been involved with,” he will earn a “label” that he can use to sell his organic beef in any market that wants it. (See sidebar on the New Mexico Organic Livestock Co-op on page 15.) He plans to start locally, in Ruidoso and Roswell, then expand into larger markets.

Part of his goal is control.

“Conventional cows are sold five to seven times before they hit the table,” says Mark. “I want more control of the process, from raising the cow to the steak in the icebox.” He thinks this control will create a tastier, healthier product—one that the public will desire.

(con’t on page 15)

Good Stewardship:

Mark Cortner (con’t from page 10)

“He doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides in his operation; his cattle are grass fed; his use of antibiotics and other drugs is practically nonexistent (rotational grazing significantly reduces fly-borne illnesses, for example); and he herds his animals in a low-stress manner. It also costs less. ‘It’s more economical to raise beef naturally,’ says Mark, in summation.”

11 May 2000

The War for the West is over. And the environmentalists won.

That’s the thrust of a frontpage editorial by Ed Marston in the April 10th issue of High

by Courtney White Country News , which he publishes.

“The war between extractive interests and the environmental movement for control of the “The times they are Interior West’s public lands is a-changing.” —Bob Dylan drawing to a close,” he writes. “The timber era, the cattle era, the mainstem big-dam era, the wiseuse era are ending. An immense landscape is going from one set of uses to another…in an astoundingly short time.”

As evidence of the environmentalists’ triumph, he cites the successful reintroduction of the wolf, the rapid rise of recreational use on public lands, the failure of a Newt Gingrich-led Congress to roll back any significant environmental law, the diminishing economic impact of the extractive industries (with a corresponding decline in political muscle), and the impunity with which Secretary Babbitt is steamrolling new national monuments across the western landscape.

The struggle, Marston suggests, was always about sovereignty.

Rural westerners viewed their home as a region apart from the rest of the nation, a private domain for use as they saw fit. Environmentalists, on the other hand, insisted that public land belonged to the whole public, from sea to shining sea. And the jury, says Marston, has delivered its verdict: the West belongs to America, now and forever.

May 2000

The Far Horizon

12

What Next?

If Marston’s observation is accurate that the struggle for the West is in an endgame, what happens next? Who or what steps into the breach to pick up the pieces and restore order? Who will come to the negotiating table to discuss a peace treaty?

Marston suggests the business of peace-making is already underway. As an example, he cites the “patchwork quilt of watershed, consensus, collaboration, community-forestry and range-restoration efforts that have appeared everywhere in the West, as if by magic.”

He also cites the efforts of western state governors to reassert some semblance of order through a collaborative project called ENLIBRA. Many of these attempts at collaboration and problem-solving have caused a certain amount of hand-wringing among national environmental organizations.

They’re worried, they say, about a loss of command-and-control over public lands management. They are also suspicious of any process that engages their former enemies in dialogue.

Frankly, I think they don’t know how to respond to victory.

New Approach What I see is this: in the wake of its success, the environmental movement needs to adopt a new approach to public, and private, land activism. Having fought and won at a national scale, the focus now needs to turn to the ground—to watersheds, to resto-

(con’t on page 13)

ration, to dialogue and cooperation.

If the national organizations are unwilling or unable to do the hard work of restoration, then they should get out of the way and let local and regional groups give it a try.

Many of these local groups are taking their cue from the organic farming movement, which is succeeding in ways that should make national environmental activists turn green with envy. The key to the farmers’ success is their belief that everything starts with the soil; healthy soil means healthy plants, healthy plants mean healthy animals, including people; and healthy animals mean a healthy world.

The local conservation groups are focussing on soil, sunlight, trees, grass, and roots. They are reacquainting themselves with the fundamentals of ecosystem health—water and mineral cycles, the dynamics of plant and animal communities, and the energy flow between sunlight, soil, and plants.

They are striving to understand how aquatic and terrestrial systems function properly, and how to recognize the indicators of environmental health (or lack thereof).

This knowledge does not require a Ph.D. in Ecology or years of field experience. The basic principles can be learned in a weekend, especially if the training actually involves getting out on the land.

All one really needs is a capable instructor, a pair of eyes, and a willingness to look and listen.

Take soil, for example. Is compacted or crusted soil a sign of a healthy system or not? What role

do minerals play in plant vigor?

How do minerals get to the surface? How is the organic content of soil replenished? What role do insects and animal dung play in maintaining health? What about decay? Water? Wind?

It is at this soil-level scale that many of these new conservation groups start.

Hands-On The new conservation movement is willing to roll up its sleeves.

The days of long-distance public-lands environmentalism are winding down. Roughing up federal land managers through the courts or the press or even the NEPA process can no longer guarantee preservation or restoration of natural and cultural landscapes.

The idea that an overworked, understaffed, malnourished, and much maligned federal government can do the hard work of good stewardship all by itself is a fallacy.

The same can be said of the legislative process. The motivation of so much arm-twisting these days in the halls of Congress and state capitols has become punitive, retributive, and exclusionary—on both sides. It’s all about power—who has it, who lost it, and who wants it back. Fighting is inevitable, I suppose, and necessary at some level; but we are not making progress in the meantime, and in danger of backsliding in many areas.

Politics is effective at the broad gesture, such as authorizing (con’t on page 14)

The Far Horizon (con’t from page 12)

“The days of longdistance public-lands environmentalism are winding down. Roughing up federal land managers through the courts or the press or even the NEPA process can no longer guarantee preservation or restoration of natural and cultural landscapes.”

13 May 2000

The Far Horizon (con’t from page 13)

14 May 2000

the construction of a massive dam, or its removal, but it can no more ensure the proper cycling of nutrients through soil than a lawsuit can.

For example, the old movement’s reliance on legislation, politics, and media pressure exposes one of its greatest failings: to affect significant change on private land. A recent science article stated that only 12% of all endangered species exist exclusively on public land. If nature does not recognize the difference between private and public land, why do conservationists? It’s because their toolbox lacks critical tools.

The new conservation movement adds cooperation to the toolbox. It believes long-term ecological and economic restoration will only take place when humans agree to change their behavior peaceably through the cooperative effort of many hands. This means working with landowners one-onone. It means travelling to ranches, both public and private, and volunteering to help. It means getting involved.

This is not as difficult as it sounds. Many observers have pointed out that land managers, environmentalists, and rural residents have much in common. The biggest stumbling block is trust.

Once the ice has been broken, however, the potential for progress is huge.

No Compromise The new conservation movement considers education a two-way street. Its leaders are willing to accept the ideas and wisdom of people different from them-

selves, particularly from people who don’t live in asphalt jungles.

They are willing to take the time to read the scientific literature, tour a progressively managed ranch, or attend a workshop.

At the same time, they are willing to share what they know with other open minds. A rancher may know a lot about a certain soil type or a particular plant, but may not know that streams need sinuosity to be healthy. A federal land manager might know how to read a vegetative transect, but might not know how to calculate “Animal Days Per Acre” or understand its usefulness. An environmentalist may know how to determine the “proper functioning condition” of a riparian area but not know how it can be grazed by cattle in the dormant season without harm.

A great place for education to start is in the marketplace because the easiest way to influence human behavior is to tie it to economic self-interest. Demonstrating how healthy economics flow from healthy ecosystems is one of the best tools for change, including getting paid, if you are a rancher, to do conservation work.

Or go organic.

The new conservation movement does not use the word “compromise.” It searches instead for innovative solutions to complex problems that aim at simultaneous economic and ecological selfsustainability. It does not mediate or facilitate extremes; it works in the “radical center’”using common-sense ideas. It does not file lawsuits to achieve its goals. It has

(con’t on page 23)

“A lot of people think organic is just a fad,” he says, smiling again, “but I know it’s not. I looked into it.” According to Mark, the organic market in general is growing by approximately 25% per year, making it the fastest growing segment of agriculture in America.

So why are there only four certified livestock producers in New Mexico, especially if demand is rising so rapidly and profits are good? “Most ranchers don’t want to deal with the trouble,” replies Mark, “and that’s all right with According to the New Mexico Organic Livestock Coop, “Our producers are pioneers. They research, develop and practice the most advanced

me.”

Good Stewardship

For Mark, the bottom line is his high quality-of-life. His satisfaction comes from knowing he is healing land, producing healthy food for people, helping wildlife, and protecting a little bit of open space, while providing a nourishing environment for his wife and two children.

“To me, organic means having a lot of options,” says Mark.

These days, having options is big news.

Mark Cortner

methods meat production in the United States today.

“Our producers use rotational grazing methods that build healthy soils, preserve water. . .

“By supporting New Mexico Organic Livestock farms and ranches, you are creating jobs, improving water, and soil and air qualities of New Mexico’s rural communities.”

Organic means that the meat so

(con’t from page 11)

certified is 100% free of antibiotics and growth hormones. The animals are grazed on Certified Organic pastures, fed Certified Organic grains, and processed in Certified Organic facilities. The certification is done by an independent third party, the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, which has developed the highest standards for organic meats in the U.S.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Our first major publication, The New Ranch: An Owner’s Manual, will debut at a conference at the Farm & Ranch Museum in Las Cruces, Saturday, September 9.

Speakers include: Dr. Kris Havstad, Jim Winder, and Nathan Sayre.

A two-day grass bank conference, Friday-Saturday, November 16-17, will be held in Santa Fe. Everything you wanted to know about grass banks but were afraid to ask.

15 May 2000

recreation value is now defined.

The conservation value of natural resources is much younger (con’t from page 1) than commodities or recreation, making its appearance in the late 1960s with the widespread concern about the condition and longevity of our natural resources. When a value is new, it is usually administered by the government until the private sector takes over and begins to efficiently market the goods and services. In the early years, it was common to hear that the Environmental Protection Agency was suing someone because of a perceived damage to a natural resource. The EPA was demonstrating o u r society’s values by holding priv a t e companies accountable for damage done to public goods, namely air and water.

CourtJim’s Lake Valley Ranch. (Photo by Courtney White.) a n d agency-mandated cleanups were often performed by contractors who benefitted financially from the environmental laws. As the private sector was forced to internalize the cost of pollution, we came to understand that it was cheaper not to pollute in the first place. Thus another industry was born, one specializing in pollution control and prevention.

The next step came as the agencies discovered that it was not enough to stop pollution, that attention needed to be focused on healing the damage which had occurred. Our

Marketing Conservation Value

16

May 2000

society valued certain species, deemed threatened and endangered, to such a degree that billions of dollars were spent on the recovery of their populations and habitat. The key phrase here is “billions of dollars.”

The Business of Conservation It is readily apparent that the government and citizens of the United States value endangered species and landscapes significantly. It is also apparent that conservation has become a growth sector worth many billions of dollars annually. Now, where does this put the resource manager who is trying to make a living from the land?

The most important job of the resource manager is to define and deliver products and services to customers which have measurable benefits for species and landscapes. To do this, we must understand our potential customers.

Defining the Customer.

The first step in marketing is to define who your customers are and to understand their wants and needs. Typically, conservation customers are few in numbers but large in size. They include: —Federal, State & Local Governments & Agencies; —Conservation Groups; —Land Owners.

Government It is important to remember that the government is the representative of the individual citizen. You should consider how your actions will benefit the voters in a specific district as well as how they will affect a specific agency. Budget cuts and environmental lawsuits have overwhelmed land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management. The agencies are very receptive to ideas which will reduce their work load or

(con’t on page 17)

make them less vulnerable to legal action. Agencies are organizations of people who are not rewarded for taking chances but are punished for making mistakes. Most every employee is in his/her job because they hoped to help the land. However, in a bureaucracy, it is hard for an individual to have a direct impact. When approaching an agency employee with a proposal, you should answer two questions: “How are you going protect them if something goes wrong?”

“What are their personal goals for this particular resource?”

Conservation Groups Few ranchers have an accurate understanding of the structure and function of conservation groups, such as The Nature Conservancy or the Sierra Club. These groups are not the environmental machines they are made out to be. Instead they are simply organizations made up of people who face the same problems as other organizations. Their most important jobs are public relations and convincing people to give them money, for without PR there is no money, and without money there is no power.

Large conservation groups have a bureaucracy of their own, the perpetuation of which is a higher priority than the resolution of resource conflicts.

When dealing with a group, you should consider first what is good for the group and secondly what is good for the land.

Land Owners Increasingly there is a separation between who owns the land and who manages the land. Large trophy ranches are being purchased by folks who haven’t a clue as to which end of the cow gets up first.

Most ranch managers understand cows and grass but often fail to understand the true goals and values of the property owner. The owner did not

buy the ranch because of the great financial rewards it offered. Instead it was purchased to fulfill certain emotional rewards which come from owning a tract of land. An astute manager recognizes this and manages the resource to improve wildlife populations, riparian habitat, and scenic beauty. This may sound esoteric but it is well founded in economics. After all, the owner will probably sell the ranch to another person with similar values and more wildlife, creeks, and beauty will be reflected in the increased sales price of the land.

Defining Products and Services. In order for your product or service to be economically successful, it has to deliver a benefit to the customer. It is important to remember that a benefit can be either the addition of something positive or the removal of something negative. A good rule of thumb is that the more conflict there is involving a resource, the more opportunity there is for profit.

Potential products and services may be found under one of the following broad categories: —Species Recovery; —Scenic Beauty & Open Space; —Clean Air & Water; —Control of Exotic & Invading Species; —Preservation of Resources for Future Generations.

As you define your products and services, it is useful to ask two questions: “What good things can I produce?” “What bad things can I make disappear?” Let’s examine each of the above categories in turn and see what opportunities they hold.

Species Recovery

Marketing Conservation Value (con’t from page 16)

“The most important job of the resource manager is to define and deliver products and services to customers which have measurable benefits for species and landscapes.”

17

There is little doubt that our society values threatened and endangered species. Although some species,

(con’t on page 18) May 2000

Marketing Conservation Value (con’t from page 17)

18 May 2000

such as the Bald Eagle, may have more public appeal than a less charismatic species, such as a snail, most scientists refuse to place relative importance on any species, stating that each species deserves protection in its own right. However, few would argue that it is easier to raise funds and to attract attention for the more charismatic species. Often, the value of a species is based on potential future uses for such things as medicine, and for the value of their ecological functions. Clearly, many species perform functions which would be uneconomical for man to replace. Think of the role that grasses play in the production of clean water from our watersheds, and what it would cost to replace them with some manmade structure, if it were possible at all.

Now we ask our two little questions. What good thing can I produce that will help this species? Is there something missing that we can provide, new habitat, a research facility or even improved landowner cooperation? Secondly, what bad things can I make go away? Endangered species are endangered for a reason. A little research will often reveal what the experts consider to be the cause of the species’ decline and the factors which limit recovery. Often, a combination of several factors such as loss of habitat or competition from other species are to blame. Almost always, there is a human policy constraint involved as well. What can you do to remove a key constraint?

Scenic Beauty & Open Space I once participated in a panel discussion with a professor of economics from the University of Montana. The professor used a variety of slides and overheads to demonstrate to the audience that there was an economic boom occurring in the western states. He also effectively demonstrated that this boom was not due to

livestock, mining, or logging. So what was driving the boom? It was people retiring to the West to live in a beautiful place and the money they brought with them. In addition, many hightech companies were locating in mountain cities in order to provide a higher quality of life for their employees.

The next thing this learned professor demonstrated was that land with nice views carried a significantly higher value than places less well endowed. This held for the grand views of a mountain range as well as for more local views of things like a healthy stream. It stands to reason that a creek lined with green grass and trees is worth more than one with barren banks and stagnant water.

There are many ways to make a landscape less visually appealing— construction of roads, buildings, fences, and power lines are just a few.

Cowpies in the campgrounds and hammered riparian areas are common complaints on public lands.

When we get beyond seeing only cows and grass, we can then find alternatives which meet our needs but which do not have a negative visual impact.

Society also values the open space on a ranch. It may be profitable to fill your valley with houses; then again it can be profitable to leave it open.

Development rights can be sold and retired for real cash money. If nothing else, a tax write-off is always available.

Clean Air & Water For a product to have economic value, it must be scarce. For a long time, clean air and water were not considered to have economic value because of their abundance. When the world was less populated with humans, we could pollute and move away and nature would clean up our mess. Then came our massive, seden-

(con’t on page 19)

tary populations which could easily overwhelm nature’s ability to break down our waste. The air became brown and the rivers caught fire.

Although our air and water is cleaner than in the past, we are still faced with declining and over-allocated water supplies in the West.

Spend a winter morning in Albuquerque and you see there is still much room to improve our air.

Clean air and water are hands down the most valuable products of our rangelands, but they have been the hardest to get paid for. This is changing. It is widely recognized that an acre of grassland can absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than an acre of rainforest. It is also recognized that plowed fields give off carbon into the atmosphere. We are beginning to see these facts make their way into the government psyche in the form of carbon credits. The creation of a market for pollution credits has been heralded by economists as the most effective way to control pollution. (Environmentalists taken a dimmer view of the system.) Under this system, a factory is allowed to pollute to a certain point. If their pollution is less, then they are given credits. These credits can be sold to other factories who are less able to reduce their pollution. The results are that the efficient factories reduce pollution more and at a lower cost than the less efficient factories and are rewarded for their efforts.

Municipalities are faced with the large cost of providing clean water for their citizens. Pollution comes in many forms, including soil sediments.

Municipalities have begun to purchase surrounding ranches to protect their watershed and reduce water treatment costs. The door is open for resource managers who can provide the watershed protection at a lower cost while producing other valuable goods such as livestock.

Control of Exotic Species A variety of exotic species have been accidentally or purposely introduced into native rangelands with disastrous local results. Leafy Spurge, Zebra Mussels, and dozens of other exotic species have become a type of living pollution. State, federal, and local governments have dumped millions of dollars worth of chemicals on the land in an effort to control noxious plants. But often these same plants can be controlled through grazing with sheep and goats. The economics of a livestock operation are greatly improved when the forage is free— now think how good they can be when you get paid to graze. This approach is also applicable to the control of native weeds under power line rights-of-way. The point is to see livestock as tools. A sheep is much cheaper to operate than a bulldozer.

Marketing Conservation Value (con’t from page 18)

“It is widely recognized that an acre of grassland can absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than an acre of rainforest.”

Preservation of Resources for Future Generations Sometimes we are not able to find a way to market the value from certain resources, but we can still get paid for doing nothing. Our society values the preservation of natural resources for future generations. Not only do they need resources to survive, it is highly probable that our children and grandchildren will have a better understanding of natural resources than we have today. Also their values will be different than ours.

There exist a variety of government programs which help resource managers improve the resource without demanding a short-term profit. Other programs actually purchase certain rights which are deemed to be hazardous to the future resource uses. Mining, drilling, and development rights may be sold for cash or donated and a tax write-off taken.

(con’t on page 20)

19 May 2000

Marketing Conservation Value (con’t from page 19)

American Robin (below) and Barn Owl, both of which have been found on Macho Creek.

(See story on page 2.)

20 May 2000

Getting Paid The markets in agriculture are so well defined and developed that a rancher can sell a cow any number of ways, any day of the week. The conservation market is not yet to this point. Herein lies the opportunity.

Although direct cash payments for conservation work are available, often the payment takes other forms. Resource improvements which are paid for by the government or conservation groups make the resource more productive and allow indirect profits.

An example of this is a wetland improvement project. Although the money received may be strictly allocated to moving dirt to improve the wetland, people will pay to come and view the wildlife which are attracted to the water.

Another method is to wrap a non-conservation product in conservation. An example is predatorfriendly wool products, which differentiates a commodity by its impact on the resource. Or bird watching, which winds conservation around a recreational experience.

Finally, given the public’s preconception that conservation is best performed by governments or nonprofit groups, many of the payments for conservation work are made through grants. There are literally hundreds of sources for conservation grants in the United States. Federal agencies from Interior to Defense offer conservation-oriented grants. State agencies and private foundations are some additional, more local sources.

Conclusions The conservation of natural resources is a new value which offers resource managers an improved opportunity for profits. Like any new and developing industry, conservation rewards the person who has the vision to recognize an opportunity among conflict. In fact, the greater

the conflict, the greater the potential rewards are for someone holding a solution. Up to now, much of the conservation activities were directly controlled by government or large conservation groups. Because of their size and detachment from the resource, these entities are not efficient.

Thus an opportunity exists for those people who can accomplish a conservation task at a lower cost. No one is in a position to know the resource better than the person who lives on the land. However, often, a rancher will fail to understand business opportunities which exist on his land merely because it requires work which is different than what his daddy did.

This article was not intended to be a cookbook approach to marketing conservation. Instead it was written to open the reader’s mind just a little and hopefully show a few ranchers that there is a whole new world out there. Let your neighbor spend his money on genetics and hormones. If you are serious about keeping your family on the land, then you need to be serious about growing beyond ranching to be a resource manager.

The ranching industry is at one of the most critical crossroads of its history.

Does it stick with tradition and continue its disappearing act? Or does it recognize that it is in the resource management business and prosper by producing the goods and services the public demands?

The conservationist or agency employee should recognize the benefits of managing endangered resources through the capitalist system.

Economics is a subset of ecology, and there is no more efficient way of managing natural resources towards the public’s goals. It was once profitable to destroy ecosystems, now it can be profitable to restore them.

economic fabric of their ranch in imaginative ways. They use a shortduration, rotational style of management with the goal of restoring and maintaining rangeland health, especially wildlife habitat (and not just for hunting). They conduct prescribed burns on at least one pasture every year.

During drought periods, the cattle are concentrated on portions of the ranch with improved pastures, comprising about 20% of the ranch, which recover quickly.

These pastures are monitored closely and the cattle rotated before damage can occur.

Their stewardship ethic doesn’t stop there. Through a partnership with Ducks Unlimited and the Texas Wetlands Project, the Burdettes have increased the amount

sphere for guests and employees alike.

To top it off, the Burdettes maintain a small herd of Texas longhorns, though they admit it’s for the benefit of their guests. “They expect to see them,” says Ray, “and they get a kick out of them when they do.”

It’s all part of the plan.

The future looks quite bright for the Burdettes. By integrating ranching, birding, and hunting into an economic whole, they feel that they’ve taken charge of their destiny. They are making a decent living while enjoying a high quality of life.

They admit, however, an economic strategy similar to theirs may not be possible on other ranches, especially the birding part. At the same time, they say the important

A 21st Century Ranch (con’t from page 7)

For More Information: Monica and Ray Burdette El Canelo Ranch P. O. Box 487 Raymondville, TX 78580 (956) 689-5042 elcanel@vsta.com

The Bed and Breakfast at El Canelo. (Photo courtesy of Ray and Monica Burdette.)

of wetlands on the ranch by 600% over the past few years. These permanent wetlands provide improved habitat for waterfowl and wildlife, as well as recreational fishing for bass, bluegill, and catfish. Wetlands also improve the aesthetics of the ranch by creating an “oasis” atmo-

lesson they have learned is this: be open-minded to new opportunities.

Use change to your advantage; take control of the future, before it takes control of you.

For the Burdettes, the future is now.

21 May 2000

“There are four things the consumer wants from food: that it taste good, be good for you, be (con’t from page 9) safe, and raised right.”

Mel also claims to have established the first conservation easement in Colorado—on a river to help local fishermen.

But what about shoes? Mel For More Information: says he’s honored to be involved Bob Farentinos with Deep E Co. From a business perspective it makes sense, espeDeep E Co. cially given the public’s increasing 322 NW Fifth Ave., demand for eco-friendly products.

Suite 207 It also conforms to his conservaPortland, OR 97209 tion ethic. He sees practically no (503) 299-6647 down side to his participation, exwww.deepeco.com cept one.

“I wish they would hurry up and buy more hides,” he said.

Can a Shoe Save the World?

Mel Coleman, Sr. Coleman Foods High Country Alliance I found one more piece to 314 Diamond Circle this intriguing, shoe-making alliLouisville, CO (303) 666-4417 ance.

It is very important to Bob Farentinos and his company that High Country Citizens their claims be verified through Alliance third-party analysis. To this end, P.O. Box 1066 they gave a grant to the High CounCrested Butte, CO 81224 try Citizens Alliance, a nonprofit (970) 349-7104 environmental group based in Crested Butte, to independently, www.sni.net/hcca and scientifically, document the Colemans’ claims of good stewardship.

According to its web site, the mission of the HCCA is to “protect, restore, and enhance the natural ecosystems and quality of life in the Upper Gunnison River Valley.” Its objectives include to oppose and prevent damage to the environment; to encourage public participation in land use decisions; and to promote peace on Earth.

I talked with Denis Hall, May 2000

22

HCCA’s President, longtime environmental activist, and the man in charge of monitoring the Colemans’ public range. When asked why he became involved in this project, he replied by noting that, in the Crested Butte area, the main issue IS cows vs. condos.

“And the condos are winning,” he said.

Although no great fan of cattle grazing, Denis said that he sees the benefits of progressive ranch management. He is quite complimentary of the Coleman family, not only for their stewardship, but also for their willingness to diversify their operation to meet modern needs. He thinks this shoe business is “very innovative.”

Using the “Proper Functioning Condition” model (PFC), a scientifically based checklist of ecosystem health, Denis and another volunteer have been systematically monitoring the riparian areas on the Coleman allotments, especially Saguache Park. His goal is to visit every reach on the public allotments—a goal he plans to accomplish this summer.

So far he gives the riparian areas good marks. “They’re PFC,” he said, “except for a delay in willow recruitment in some areas and some other minor problems, which may not be cattle-related.” Since riparian areas are the bellwether for the range as a whole, he thinks the land under the Colemans’ care is doing fine. He also gives Deep E good marks for their leadership.

He is hopeful, as am I, that the good work of this shoe experiment spreads.

“After all,” he notes, “native biodiversity is not served by concrete.”

could help via EcoResults.

Increase Collaboration Another benefit direct marketing can provide is to help increase the use of collaborative methods to resolve environmental disputes.

Legislation, regulation, and litigation have become the standard means of dealing with environmental problems in our society. Groups and individuals that use this approach gauge their success in terms of the number of lawsuits they win, the number of political candidates they help to elect, and the number of laws they help to pass.

EcoResults would measure success by monitoring environmental rather than political results. Collaborative specialists tell us that the way to get beyond conflict to effectiveness in any kind of dispute is to negotiate in terms of what we want instead of what we want one another to do. By focusing land management dialogues on results (what we want) rather than on compliance (what we want people to do), we would be putting those interactions on a basis more fertile for the development of collaborative solutions.

And by shifting the measure of success of environmental

The Far Horizon (con’t from page 14) no need to compromise its ideals.

The new movement steps out of the political, legislative, and judicial arenas, leaving the combatants to duke it out. Instead, it studies soil, identifies plants, herds cattle, raises water tables, shakes hands, makes a profit.

The war is over. Let the healing begin.

efforts from political to ecological, EcoResults will enable us to gauge the effectiveness of all of those who contend to be a source of environmental solutions in terms of results on the land instead of results in the courtroom or the political arena.

If you’re skeptical about the main premise of this proposal, if you say that we shouldn’t have to pay for healthy rangelands—that they are a matter of our right to a healthy environment—you are absolutely correct. But that “right” doesn’t get you efforts beyond the call of duty such as Terry Wheeler feeding and watering cattle on a pile of mine tailings for months at a time, or Josiah Austin creating thousands of micro-wetlands, or the Magoffins hauling water to save threatened frogs.

At present, many efforts of the sort I just listed are fueled by a dedication that can best be described as a love of the land. However, I believe that the environmental and cultural crisis on the West’s rangelands is serious enough that we’re going to have to go beyond dedication and beyond duty to deal with it. In fact, I believe we’re going to need all the “beyond the call of duty” efforts we can inspire. That’s why I think we need as many tools in our environmental toolbox as we can get, and why I believe direct marketing should be one of those tools.

Direct marketing could enable us to increase our effectiveness in healing damaged ecosystems and sustaining them to a degree that’s hard to even imagine. I find it exciting to wonder just what is possible if we apply a positive rather than a negative approach to remedy the shrinkage of what many of us value most about the West—that which is wild in it.

EcoResults (con’t from page 5)

JOIN US! Would you like to join the Quivira Coalition? We rely on donations. If you would like to help us continue our educational mission, please send your contribution with this form to our Santa Fe address.

Yes! I would like to join the Quivira Coalition. I can contribute: ___$15 ___$30 ___$50 ___$100 ___Other Contributions entitle you to receive this newsletter, notices of upcoming events and publications, and preference in enrollment for our Outdoor Classrooms, Conferences, and Workshops.

Thank You!

23 May 2000

UPCOMING EVENTS Is “Rest” The Answer To The Grazing Debate?

A FREE Workshop led by Kirk Gadzia Saturday, June 3, 9am-4pm, at the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge, near Socorro The question of resting land—where, when, and how—is perhaps the most controversial issue in the grazing debate. The impacts of rest, both positive and negative, have been widely misunderstood, and too often politicized.

This workshop will explore the complexities of rest in an ecological context, especially the role rest plays in both restoring AND degrading rangelands. Kirk has observed the effects of rest for many years on many ranches around the world. His goal in the workshop is to lead a frank and non-judgmental discussion about rest. He especially encourages members of the environmental community to participate. The workshop includes field trips in the area.

Birding at the U Bar Sat-Sun, June 10-11, 6am, near Silver City Cost: $35 per person, Limit: 15 people Dr. Scott Stoleson of the Rocky Mountain Research Center and Dr. Roland Shook of the Audubon Society will lead a birding expedition to the privately owned U Bar Ranch, home to endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatchers, Common Black Hawks, Ebert’s Towhees, Gila Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and Zone-Tail Hawks. On Sunday morning, Dr. Shook will lead the group to the Forest Service’s “Bird Area” on the Gila River. A Saturday evening BBQ with members of Hawks Aloft is planned. Rancher David Ogilvie will discuss how grazing and wildlife habitat can be compatible.

Outdoor Classrooms on Rangeland Health Sat-Sun, June 17-18, at the Bowe Ranch, eastern NM; Sat-Sun, July 22-23, at the CS Ranch, near Springer Cost: $35 per person for QC Members, $50 for non-members, Limit: 25 people per Classroom Under the overall instruction of Kirk Gadzia, educator, author, and range expert, we will spend two days studying the details of range health in a grazing context. Topics covered will include, water and mineral cycling, energy flow, erosion, the impact of cattle on the land, fire, riparian health, botany, and monitoring. This is a chance to learn how environmentally healthy rangeland and economically robust ranches can be compatible.

Rowe Mesa Grass Bank Tour Saturday, June 24, 9am-3pm, east of Santa Fe, NM We will tour the Conservation Fund’s grass bank with author and historian Bill deBuys. The goal of the grass bank is ecological and economic restoration. Come find out how it’s done on this free tour. We will meet at the Pecos Ranger station and caravan to the grass bank. Bring lunch, a hat, and water.

The

Quivira

Coalition

551 Cordova Road, #423 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

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